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Date:	June 19, 2018
Contact:	Yvonne Klinnert, Public Information Manager
Phone:	651-430-6026, after hours 952-807-3723
E-mail:	yvonne.klinnert@co.washington.mn.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The following actions were taken at the June 19, 2018, Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting at the Government Center in Stillwater, Minnesota

County Board approves comments on draft comprehensive plans for cities of Hugo, Lakeland Shores
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved staff comments prepared following reviews of draft comprehensive plans for the cities of Hugo and Lakeland Shores June 19.
All local government units within the seven-county metropolitan region must prepare a comprehensive plan and update that plan every 10 years. The Metropolitan Council is charged with reviewing local comprehensive plans.
Before formally submitting local comprehensive plan updates to the Met Council, local governments must provide adjacent and affected jurisdictions the opportunity to review and comment on the draft plan during a mandatory six-month review period. Comprehensive plans must be submitted to the Met Council by Dec. 31.
Regarding Hugo’s plan, the county comments stated, “it supports the effort to implement policies to allow the opportunity to develop affordable housing to meet Hugo’s Allocation of Need, encourage the development of units affordable to employees of local businesses and for those with special needs, and to provide financial and technical assistance to build affordable units.” The county is encouraged by the city’s plans to expand Lions Park, and commends the city for its commitment to water conservation.
Regarding Lakeland Shores’ plan, the county is encouraged by the plan’s inclusion of access to recreational facilities and bike trails, and recommended more formal language regarding the application of the county’s Subsurface Sewage Treatment System regulations.
Contact: Colin Kelly, Senior Planner, 651-430-6011

County Board proclaims Aug. 24 American Legion Day in Washington County
The Washington County Board of Commissioners proclaimed Aug. 24 as American Legion Day in Washington County June 19.
The American Legion, Department of Minnesota, wishes to recognize Minnesota veterans who have sacrificed their time, skills, service, and lives to defend liberty and country since the Civil War. The American Legion, the state's largest veterans organization, is nearing a century of service to veterans, youth, and communities. The American Legion and its members have put millions of volunteer hours, plus talents and treasure into projects that have made Minnesota and Washington County a better place to live.
With the 100th American Legion National Convention approaching, a grass roots effort has begun through Minnesota's 540 posts to get cities and counties to pass resolutions or proclamations noting the event. The 100th American Legion National Convention will be in Minneapolis the last week of August to honor the first national convention of the American Legion, which was in Minneapolis in November 1919.
Contact: Ryan Carufel, Veterans Service Officer, 651-430-6857

County Board approves applications for special event licenses
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved an application June 19 for a temporary on-sale liquor license for VFW Post 323 for a special event at the Washington County Fairgrounds Aug. 1 through Aug. 5.
The fairgrounds are in Baytown Township.
The Sheriff's Office has been informed, and all the requirements for the license have been met.
The County Board also approved an application for the VFW Post 323 Auxiliary to conduct off-site gambling at the fairgrounds for the same dates. A licensed organization may apply to the Minnesota Gambling Control Board for a permit to conduct lawful gambling on a premise other than the organization's permitted premises. The permit application must be authorized by the County Board.
After approval by the County Board, the application will be sent to the State Gambling Board for consideration.
The County Board also approved an application from the St. Paul East Parks Lions to conduct excluded bingo at the Washington County Fairgrounds Aug. 1 through Aug. 5. An application to conduct excluded bingo may be made by organizations that meet the requirements of state law to conduct bingo without a license if it is conducted in connection with a county fair, the state fair, or a civic celebration and is not conducted for more than 12 consecutive days. After approval by the County Board, the application will be sent to the State Gambling Board for consideration
Contact: Steve Gransee, Election Division Manager, 430-8272

County Board approves request for federal funds for transportation projects
The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a request for funding by the federal government for local transportation projects June 19.
The Regional Solicitation for federal transportation project funding is part of the Metropolitan Council's federally-required transportation planning process for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. The program rules are established by the U.S. Department of Transportation and administered locally. Every two years, the Regional Solicitation process allocates federal transportation funds to locally-initiated projects to meet regional transportation needs. The Metropolitan Council works with the Transportation Advisory Board to review and allocate these funds.
As authorized by the most recent federal surface transportation funding act, FAST ACT, projects will be selected for funding available in 2022-2023.
Projects that will be submitted for consideration are:
* trail segment implementation of the Central Greenway Regional Trail along County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 19 (Woodbury Drive) between 80th Street and the entrance of Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park and the segment along CSAH 19 at Dale Road extending 3,000 feet south in the City of Cottage Grove;
* trail improvements and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant enhancements along existing trails along CSAH 12 (75th Street North) from CSAH 29 (Hilton Trail) to CSAH 15 (Manning Avenue) in the cities of Grant and Mahtomedi;
* trail implementation along CSAH 38 from the pedestrian bridge crossing Highway 61 to the Wakota Bridge in the City of Newport;
* construction of a roundabout at CSAH 19 (Keats Avenue) and CSAH 10 (10th Street) in the City of Lake Elmo; and
* construction of the roadway lanes on the Helmo-Bielenberg bridge over Interstate 94 in collaboration with the Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) guideway in the cities of Oakdale and Woodbury.
The applications will be evaluated during the last half of the year, and the Technical Advisory Board will make recommendations for project funding in January 2019.
Contact: Emily Jorgensen, Planner, 651-430-4338

Washington, Ramsey counties will work together on signal upgrades
Washington and Ramsey counties will work together to upgrade traffic signals along Century Avenue, after the Washington County Boards of Commissioners approved an agreement for the work June 19.
The county plans for traffic signal renovations each year to improve the safety and efficiency of traffic flow on the county highway system. Renovations in 2018 are targeted at three signals on Washington County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 25 (Century Avenue), also known as Ramsey County CSAH 72, within the cities of Woodbury and Maplewood. They are at:
* Century Avenue at Lake Road;
* Century Avenue at Lower Afton Road and Valley Creek Road; and
* Century Avenue at Upper Afton Road.
These signals, constructed in 2008, currently allow yielding left turns on regular green lights, but the lights are centered over dedicated left turn lanes, which is no longer allowable on new construction. The current signals also cannot prevent yielding left turns during peak hours when such turns become difficult. The proposed upgrades will bring the signals into compliance with current federal standards by replacing these lights with Flashing Yellow Arrow lights, allow for flexible left turn control by time of day, upgrade the control equipment, and improve the placement of signal heads for through traffic to conform with current standards.
Since these signals lie along the county boundary, Ramsey County and Washington County had split the construction costs of the traffic signals in 2008. The cost of the project is expected to be $69,000, with the agreement calling for Ramsey County to pay for half.
Contact: Joe Gustafson, Traffic Engineer, 651-430-4351

Valley Paving will do CSAH 6 reconstruction project
Valley Paving will do the $2 million reconstruction of County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 6 in Oakdale, after the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with the company June 19.
The board also approved a cooperative agreement with the City of Oakdale to oversee the project, which is on CSAH 6 (Stillwater Boulevard North) from Geneva Avenue North to Granada Avenue North in Oakdale. Pavement preservation projects are scheduled to slow the normal deterioration of highways to extend pavement life.
The roadway carries about 5,500 vehicles a day. The water main under the roadway was installed in the 1970s, and the road was constructed in 1975.
CSAH 6 improvements include full replacement of pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, and storm sewer castings. In collaboration with the project, the City of Oakdale is replacing the water main. The city will maintain the water main and the pavement, curb and gutter, signing, striping, etc.
The county will pay for just more than half of the cost with highway state aid money, and the City of Oakdale will pay for the other half of the project.
Contact: Andrew Giesen, Engineer, 651-430-4336

County will continue participation in Performance Measurement Program
Washington County will continue to participate in the Performance Measurement Program and submit the report on the 11 standard measures created by the Council on Local Results and Innovation to the Office of the State Auditor.
The County Board agreed to participation June 19, the eighth year that the county has participated.
In 2010, the Legislature created the Council on Local Results and Innovation, tasked with creating a standard set of 10 measures for cities and 10 measures for counties. The list of measures was reviewed by the council and revised in 2013, when the council released an expanded set of performance measures.
Participation in the standard measures program is voluntary. A county that elects to participate in the standards measures program may be eligible for a reimbursement of 14 cents per capita in county program aid, not to exceed $25,000.
Washington County has a longstanding commitment to performance measurement and quality improvement and is able to report the standard set of measures with little additional work.
The county will report the results of the 11 adopted measures to residents on the county website at www.co.washington.mn.us/performancemeasures, as well as including the report in its budget documents and filing a copy with the Office of the State Auditor.
Contact: Amanda Hollis, Senior Planner, 651-430-6021

Weik will serve as County Board delegate to national conference
Commissioner Lisa Weik, District 5, will serve as the Washington County delegate to the National Association of Counties (NACo) annual conference July 13-16 in Nashville, Tenn.
NACo's annual election of officers and policy adoption takes place at the annual conference. To be eligible to vote, a county must have paid its membership dues and have one paid registrant for the conference. The county must also indicate the name of the voting delegate authorized to pick up the county's voting materials.
The County Board is asked to designate a voting delegate, and Weik will be the Washington County delegate for the 2018 NACo Annual Conference.
Contact: Yvonne Klinnert, Public Information Manager, 651-430-6026


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